Insipid Tomatoes? Make Bruschetta!

Summertime harvests fill our kitchens with fresh green beans, corn on the cob, and vine ripened tomatoes bursting with juicy, fragrant deliciousness.

Tomatoes so good that they can stand alone, with no doctoring what-so-ever!

Tomatoes good enough to eat . . . as is . . . fresh from the vine.

Sadly, not all tomatoes reach that state of culinary perfection.

Tomatoes harvested before they are ready to fall off the vines into our waiting mouths taste more like chemically ripened cardboard than actual tomatoes.

All too often, the tomatoes we bring home look good enough to eat . . . but taste flat, uninspired, and insipid.

Here’s my 911 for insipid tomatoes . . . make a topping for Bruschetta!

Chop the sorry excuse for tomatoes into a small dice ~ any kind of tomato will work, including plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes.

In a large bowl, combine the diced tomatoes with:

* a peeled and seeded cucumber, diced

* some diced celery

* a cubanelle pepper, chopped fine

Add 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp. fresh basil, a couple sprinkles of crushed red pepper flakes, a sprinkle of seasoned salt, and some freshly ground black pepper.

Stir to combine.  After chilling, adjust seasonings to taste ~ adding more garlic, basil, red pepper, salt, and/or black pepper.

Serve with Bruschetta (toasted or grilled rounds of Italian bread, brushed with a bit of olive oil).

Other vehicles to get your doctored up tomatoes into your waiting mouth:  crackers, Melba toast, tortilla chips, or fritos.

Enjoy!

And, next summer, remember to GYOT ~ Grow Your Own Tomatoes!

Related posts:  Ten Ways to Fiber Up Your Diet * Yummy Hummus * A Trip To The Farmer’s Market * Tiny Green Thumbs Workshop * Join a C.S.A. * Health Benefits From Greening Your Life * No Impact Man: Gradual Change